Page 26

Kai, however, wasn’t letting it go. “What do you mean by brave?”

Dannie shrugged, his smile easy. “Hong Kongers have peculiar tastes. Everyone here thinks they’re a food critic. I admire anyone bold enough to open a restaurant here, let alone succeed at it.”

Kai’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Thanks.”

I exhaled softly, relieved by shift in tones. As the conversation moved to food and business, I watched them both carefully. I had expected this meeting to be tense, awkward even. But instead, the two men mingled effortlessly, as though they had known each other for years.

Laura leaned toward me excitedly. “Hey, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Do you need help with something?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Laura wore a deep purple A-line dress that hugged her figure perfectly, making her look sweet and effortlessly adorable.

The soft fabric accentuated her sharp dimples, brightened her already sparkling eyes, and made her teeth gleam like pearls.

A good dress could elevate beauty—and on Laura, it worked like magic.

“I was going to introduce you to my best friend, but she already left,” she said, a hint of disappointment lacing her voice.

“Why aren’t you with Grandma?” Dannie asked. It might have sounded like a simple question to anyone else, but I knew exactly what it meant for Laura.

I felt the same when my parents asked why I was home instead of looking after someone they had sent to me. Like I’d failed them simply for taking a moment to breathe.

“Grandma’s probably busy entertaining her guests,” I answered quickly, standing up for Laura, wishing someone would do the same for me at work. Her arm, which was still hooked through mine, tensed slightly.

“I’m sure she is,” Dannie said as he nodded.

Her gaze shifted. “Who’s this?”

“I’m Kai,” he said, extending his hand toward her. They shook hands firmly.

“Laura. Nice to meet you. Are you friends with my brother?”

“June invited him,” Dannie cut in before I could answer, his tone cool and composed.

“Are you from the United States too?” Laura asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

“No, I’m from Shanghai,” Kai replied smoothly.

“He’s the owner of Ding Lou,” Dannie added, offering the information before either of us could.

Laura’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God, really? Grandma and I love that restaurant! We, like, have to go there every single month. But it’s so hard to get a reservation. Every time we dine there, we book our next visit months in advance!”

Her excitement was palpable, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she listed her favorite dish from the restaurant. Her skin glowed with a fresh, dewy finish, and her makeup was minimal—a refreshing contrast to the heavy glam most women wore at a party like this.

“You’re invited to the headquarters in Shanghai anytime,” Kai offered with a casual smile. “I’ll have my head chef prepare something special for you.”

I couldn’t tell if Kai was serious, but Laura nearly trembled with excitement. If she were any younger, she might have jumped up and down in celebration.

As I watched the three of them interact, a strange feeling crept in. Maybe I’d been overreacting all along. Kai didn’t seem bothered by Dannie’s presence, despite him being my ex. And Dannie appeared completely unfazed by Kai being here as my “special friend”.

“Please excuse me for a minute. I need to take care of some family business. Come with me, Laura,” Dannie said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I watched as he led Laura away, disappearing into the crowd.

The party showed no signs of slowing down.

Initially, I had assumed most of the guests were Dannie’s friends and business associates, but it became clear they were here for his grandmother—many of them patiently waiting for a chance to speak with the matriarch.

Kai’s voice pulled me back. His brows knitted closely, like he was working through a puzzle. “I know him from somewhere. I just know it.”

“Maybe at some party? Dannie has a lot of business connections.”

“I wouldn’t forget someone like him,” he insisted. “Not with his reputation.”

“Right,” I murmured. “I told you he was nice.”

“I can’t believe he trusts you with me,” he added quietly, his hand trailing up the small of my back.

“That he does. However, we must behave,” I warned, stepping slightly away from his touch. “Some people here still think Dannie and I were married. Until he clears that up, we shouldn’t risk embarrassing him at a party he’s hosting for his grandmother.”

“You’re right,” he agreed, though his lips pressed into a thin line.

We shifted our conversation to Dave—that Lincoln’s team still couldn’t find anything. Kai’s expression darkened and he agreed that they might need to involve the Mafia, if they still had no luck.

Laura reappeared at her grandmother’s request. Apparently, she wanted me to meet a few people. I excused myself from the conversation I was having and followed Laura toward the center of the hall.

Dannie’s grandmother had moved from the dining table to a cushioned chair in the Mahjong area.

There were about ten tables scattered across the section, though only three were fully occupied.

As I approached, she caught sight of me and waved enthusiastically, gesturing for me to sit beside her.

Dannie was already seated on her other side, his expression unreadable.

A line of people soon began to form in front of her, each one stepping forward in turn to offer their well-wishes.

They greeted her with warm smiles and polite words, wishing her a happy birthday and many more years of health and happiness.

After presenting their gifts, she reciprocated by handing each person a red envelope.

Before they left, she took the time to introduce me to each guest. Dannie, of course, required no introduction—everyone at the party knew exactly who he was.

After the older guests had finished, the younger generation followed suit. They greeted her with birthday wishes, received a red envelope, and were then expected to address Dannie and me using titles she had assigned based on their relationship to us.

Some called me “sam sam,” others “biu yi,” “biu sou,” “kao mou,” and “yiyi.” The only one I recognized was “yiyi,” which sounded like “auntie” in Mandarin.

As for the rest, I was clueless. My knowledge of the Chinese family tree was embarrassingly limited.

Growing up, I had simply called any older man “uncle” and any older woman “auntie,” which had always seemed to work just fine.

“You’re very pretty,” one of the younger girls said shyly, planting a soft kiss on my cheek after completing her greeting.

“Oh, you see? Children like you,” Dannie’s grandmother said with a delighted chuckle.

I smiled awkwardly, “I wasn’t really doing anything.”

“Exactly. You should have children of your own,” she added with a pointed look that made my stomach twist with discomfort.

I shifted uneasily in my seat, silently pleading for this ordeal to end. Just then, in the blur of moving bodies, I caught a glimpse of Kai’s face. It was fleeting—no more than two seconds—but enough to make my pulse quicken.

“Isn’t it time for cake?” I blurted out, a little too eagerly.

Dannie, sensing my discomfort, sprang into action. He helped his grandmother rise from her chair while barking instructions to someone nearby, presumably about the cake. Relief flooded through me—finally, an escape from this never ending procession.

He guided his grandmother toward a small, elevated stage where an elaborate cake waited, its tiers adorned with delicate sugar flowers. As he helped her up the steps, he raised an eyebrow at me, silently urging me to follow.

“Do I need to?” I mouthed, hoping he’d let me off the hook.

“June, where are you?” His grandmother’s voice cut through the noise, leaving me with no choice but to hurry to her side. She beamed as the photographer positioned us around the cake, and with Dannie on her other side, she cut the first slice while the camera flashed repeatedly.

Just when I thought the worst was over, she clapped her hands. “Family photo! Laura, gather everyone.”

I barely suppressed a groan as Laura began herding people toward the stage.

What followed was ten grueling minutes of endless photos.

The first five shots were genuine family portraits.

After that, it was a mix of random guests—some claiming distant ties to Dannie, while others were clearly just business associates.

A few, from the looks of them, were probably triad members.

As we finally stepped off the stage, I leaned close to Dannie and whispered. “You owe me big time.”